This adorable McDonald's Christmas advert is warming hearts everywhere

It's not exactly the place that springs to mind when you hear the word "Christmas" but McDonald's may have just launched the most heartwarming festive advert yet.

The fast-food giant's UK TV campaign this year features a cute little girl who is saving the last carrot stick from her Happy Meal for one of Santa's reindeer.

According to the Daily Mail, the curly-haired Shirley Temple lookalike carries around her carrot everywhere and is determined not to lose it.

This year's heart melting Christmas advert starts with a young girl enjoying a McDonald's meal with her father.

But when the father asks his daughter if she is going to eat her last carrot stick, she tells him she wants to save it for Santa's reindeer.

She protectively carries the carrot stick in her hand as she follows her father around town while they do some last-minute Christmas shopping, including in a shopping centre, at a market, and on the bus home.

But when she gets home and proudly tells her mother she's kept a carrot stick for the reindeer, her older brother cluelessly points out that Santa has an entire herd of reindeer. 

This means another trip to a McDonald's for the little girl and her father to pick up another bag of carrot sticks.

But when the patient dad thinks that at least he can get a cheeseburger out of the trip, the cute girl pipes up that Father Christmas only eats mince pies. 

Emily Somers, vice president marketing &and food development at McDonald's UK said: "We are very excited to unveil the creative campaign we've been working on for Christmas 2017. Our campaign focuses on the anticipation, excitement and little moments of magic the run-up to Christmas brings. 

"Our TV ad focuses on one little girl's preparation for the big day, saving a carrot stick for the reindeer, a tradition the whole country will relate to. The wider campaign is also designed to reflect those moments of preparation that we all go through at Christmas. We can't wait for people to see our campaign and look forward to seeing people all over the country be inspired to get #ReindeerReady."

The advert coincides with the launch of McDonald's Christmas menu, which includes bags of carrot sticks that have been rebranded as Reindeer Treats, as well as a Beef and Cheese Feast burger containing cheese sauce and a Terry's Chocolate Orange McFlurry.

This article was first published on Daily Mail and is republished here with permission.